Efforts to avert KP crisis failed despite repeated contacts: Naqvi

ISLAMABAD, Oct 11 (APP):Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday has said the government made repeated efforts to avert the developing crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but negotiations and last-minute contacts failed to produce a breakthrough.

He said he had contacted the other side at 12:30am and urged them to avoid the situation from escalating but he received no response.

He was addressing a press conference along with Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar and Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar regarding the decision of imposing an emergency and governor rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman met the Prime Minister a day earlier and subsequently held a meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders. Contact was also made by the Prime Minister again, but the efforts yielded no result.

Naqvi said the government had repeatedly made it clear that it had no objection to a sit-in or protest in Islamabad. The central concern, he stressed, was the worsening security situation and the need for cooperation on counter terrorism.

He questioned how the country could continue gathering to attend the funerals of security personnel and civilians killed in attacks while political leaders remained unwilling to cooperate on security despite being present in the same city.

The minister said the President and Prime Minister had personally remained in contact throughout the negotiation process rather than waiting for the other side to approach them.

Highlighting the security challenges, he said 12 districts of the province were facing particularly difficult security conditions, with residents in some areas unable to go outside after sunset.

He referred to the recent killing of a senior officer, as well as targeted attacks against police personnel, customs officials and other individuals, describing the situation as deeply concerning.

The minister said he had held several meetings with KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, during which the discussions focused exclusively on terrorism rather than political matters.

Naqvi said a plan had also been discussed to strengthen the KP police in five districts initially, with the army and Frontier Corps to withdraw from those areas within six months and responsibility handed over to the police. The same process was then to be extended to five more districts over the following six months.

He said the provincial government had raised concerns about funding for the plan, but the federal government had offered to meet any shortfall, arguing that the fight against terrorism was a collective responsibility. However, work on the proposed arrangement had yet to begin, he added.

He further stressed that the foreign policy of the federation and a province could not be pursued separately. Referring to alleged connections between some provincial actors and the Afghan Taliban, he said the matter was not hidden and called for a unified approach to security and counter terrorism.

Concluding his remarks, the interior minister prayed for the country’s safety and for success for Pakistan’s armed forces, police and paramilitary personnel in the fight against terrorism.